I made up a huge pot of budget bolognaise sauce to freeze, it made about 8 2 person portions. So I thought I’d share what I did.
Ingredients:
About 500g Lean beef mince
2 large mushrooms
1/2 a red capsicum
1/2 green capsicum
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
1 large carrot
4 x large (800?) g tins chopped tomatoes
1 jar (200g?) tomato paste
1/4c dried basil
1/4c dried sage
2 tsp curry powder
2 bacon stock cubes
2 tsp cumin
2tb mustard (I like seeded)
Method:
1). Brown the mince. I use a dry saucepan and add no oil.
2). Roughly chop the mushrooms, capsicum, onion, garlic, carrot and zucchini, then add to a food processor and blend so that most of it is very finely chopped. some bigger bits are ok.
3). Mix the meat and the veg mix together in a very large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients.
4). I’d intended to do it in the slow cooker, but it made too much for that, so I did half in the slow cooker for a couple of hours on high (took a while to heat it up) and half simmering on the stovetop for about an hour
5). spoon out into containers and freeze.
Bolognaise Sauce (in bulk) January 7, 2009
Leek & Mushroom Cannelloni December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
1 large leek
1 medium onion
olive oil for frying
125g (4 oz) mushrooms, very finely chopped
125-175g (4-6oz) cheese, grated
1 small onion, very finely chopped
400g can tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
300 ml (1/2 pint) hot water
a dash of vegetarian worcheshire sauce
cannelloni tubes
Method:
Chop leek and medium onion very finely, and fry them in a little olive oil until soft. Add cheese and mushrooms, and cook until the cheese has melted. Allow to cool.
Fry the small onion in a little olive oil until brown. Add tomatoes and the stock cube mixed with hot water and worcheshire sauce, mixing well. Simmer until mixture has reduced by half.
Fill the cannelloni shells with the leek and cheese mixture. Pour a little of the tomato mixture into an oven proof dish, lay the cannelloni ontop of this, and top with remaining sauce. Bake for about 25-30 mins.
Chicken & Bacon Pasta December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
1/2 medium Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Fresh Chives, Parsley and Basil (to taste – I’d use about 1/8 – 1/4 cup total, mostly chives)
2-3 large Mushrooms (depending on size)
4 Rashers Bacon
1 Chicken Breast or 2 Chicken thighs
Plain Flour
Milk (about 1-2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese (optional – I’d use 2 low fat cheese slices)
Method:
1). Put the Pasta on to boil.
2). Chop the Bacon and Chicken into bite sized pieces. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
3). Fry the Bacon and Chicken until about half cooked. Add the Onion and fry until Chicken and Onion are browned. Add the Garlic, Mushrooms and herbs. Fry these until starting to brown.
4). In another pan add milk to about 2 tablespoons of flour, and blend to remove lumps. Bring this to the boil, stirring frequently to make a white sauce.
5). When thickened, add cheese and fried ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6). Either serve this poured over pasta, or mix the pasta through then serve.
Variation
Instead of milk and cheese, you can use a tin of evaporated milk (The “Light & Creamy”) one.
Bolognaise December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
1/2 medium Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Fresh Herbs (To taste – I like Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Chives, Thyme and Parsley)
2 Mushrooms (Optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
200g Beef mince (or so)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 small tin (or sachet) of tomato paste
Method:
1). Put a saucepan on the heat, and add the mince (no oil). Fry until the mince has browned. Drain this well to remove excess fats. Finely chop the onion, mushrooms and garlic, add them (and the mince) back to the pan and fry (again, no oil) until the Onion and Garlic are cooked.
2). Add the chopped herbs, and tomatoes. Add Tomato paste to taste (I only like about 2 tablespoons at most). Simmer this gently for as long as you can. About 1-2 hours is fantastic!.
3). Either serve this poured over pasta, or mix the pasta through then serve
Curried Noodles December 12, 2008
(a variation on mac & cheese)
Ingredients:
Pasta
flour
milk
curry powder
Cheese (a cheese slice or 1/2 cup grated cheese)
peas and corn
Method:
1). Boil pasta with the peas and corn (to cook them). When ready drain.
2). In a saucepan mix about 2 tablespoons of plain flour, 1/2 tsp curry powder with a cup or so of milk – to make a white sauce (Stir to get the lumps out, bring to the boil and it should thicken). and the pasta/vegies. Add some cheese to this.
Easy Curried Tuna Noodles December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
Pasta
flour
“Mild malay Curry” or “Mild chicken curry” cup-a-soup
Cheese (1 slice or some grated)
peas and corn
Tin of tuna
Method:
1). Boil pasta with the peas and corn (to cook them). When ready drain.
2). In a saucepan mix about 2 tablespoons of plain flour with the powered soup. Pour in about a cup of water and stir well. Bring this to the boil to thicken the flour mix. Add cheese, the pasta, tuna and vegies, stir to mix and serve.
Spaghetti Sauce December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
1/2 medium Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Fresh Herbs (To taste – I like Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Chives, Thyme and Parsley)
2 Mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
some chopped olives (whatever you like)
1 stick chopped celery
1/4 cup diced capsicum (red or green – I prefer green for a nicer colour to the sauce)
Method:
1). Finely chop the onion, mushrooms, celery, capsicum and garlic and fry until the Onion and Garlic are cooked.
2). Add the chopped herbs, olives and tomatoes. Simmer this gently for as long as you can. About 1-2 hours is good.
3). Either serve this poured over pasta, or mix the pasta through then serve.
Mushroom & Eggplant Cannelloni December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
Eggplant
Spinach (about 1/4 cup chopped fresh or defrosted frozen)
Mushrooms
Tub of Riocotta cheese
Canneloni shells
Jar of spaghetti sauce
Tin of evaporated milk
1 Avocado
1c grated cheese
Salt and pepper
1/4 ts Cardamon
1c grated cheese extra
Method:
1). Slice eggplant (I only used about 1/4 of a huge one, you can use more), brush with oil and place on a tray in the oven to roast a little.
2). Finely chop mushrooms, add to a mixing bowl with the spinach, cheese, scooped out avocado and spices.
3). When eggplant is browned, chop (or rather smoosh) into small pieces and add to the mix. Make sure mixture is well combined.
4). Mix the pasta sauce with the evaporated milk (I used a whole jar of sauce and about half a tin of milk), and pour about 1/4 of this into a baking dish to cover the bottom.
5). Fill the cannelloni cases with the mushroom mixture (a fork works well as you can poke it down), and place them in the sauce filled dish… allow a small space between the cannelloni. Once the dish is filled with one layer of cannelloni, put the remaining sauce mix over the top to cover.
6). Bake about 10 mins, then top with grated cheese if you wish and put in for another 10 mins.
Eggplant Lasagne December 12, 2008
Brown mince and add a bottle of tomato pasta sauce or use home made bolognaise. I also like to add extra mixed herbs… crumble in a bacon stock cube, some salt and pepper and mix 2 tablespoons of cornflour with a splash of water, mix until not lumpy and add to the sauce mix to thicken it.
Slice eggplant, place on an oil sprayed tray, spray the top and bake in the oven for a few minutes (until it softens or looks a bit brown), flip and do the other side for a minute or so.
Put about 3tb plain flour in a saucepan and a dash of milk, mix (and keep adding milk) until you get a thin paste with no lumps, then add about 3 cups of milk, about 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of salt and some parmesan cheese (or normal grated cheese is fine)…. bring to the boil to thicken it.
Then assemble the lasagne with 1 layer meat, one layer eggplant slices, one layer white sauce, one layer pasta, one layer meat, one layer pasta, one white sauce. Bake for about 30 mins.
Lasagne December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
Milk (about 1-2 cups)
Flour (about 2 tablespoons)
Nutmeg (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
Pasta Sheets (Home made or bought)
Bolognaise sauce
Method:
1). Get your spaghetti sauce ready. Leave that to cool. I like to add some cornflour to this, to make it less liquidy. To do that, mix 1-2 tb of Corn flour with about 2 tbs of water and blend well. Add this to the sauce (while it is simmering), and it will thicken instantly.
2). In another saucepan, add the milk to the flour and stir well to make a white sauce. Bring to the boil to thicken. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg, Salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste (About 3 tablespoons of powdered/dried stuff). When thickened, leave to cool slightly.
3). Get your lasagne dish (Any flat casserole dish or baking pan will do), and make a layer of meat sauce, then a layer of white sauce, then place your pasta sheets on top to form another layer. Repeat until you run out of ingredients, or your pan is full.
4). Make sure the final layer is a white sauce one, and you might like to sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.
5). Place this into a hot oven to bake until the top browns. This should take about 30-45 mins. I like to put a baking tray under my Lasagne dish, because my dish is quite shallow and I fill it to the top, so occasionally when cooking it overflows onto the Oven floor… the tray catches this and is easier to clean than the oven.
Macaroni & Cheese December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
175g macaroni
60g butter
60g plain flour
600ml milk
pinch of salt and pepper
175g cheddar cheese, grated
Method:
1). Boil the macaroni until cooked. Drain and return to the pan.
2). In a saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
3). Remove from heat and stir in the milk, a little at a time.
4). Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Then add the cooked pasta and mix well to combine.
Bean Cannelloni December 12, 2008
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 x 440 g tin four bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
12 instant cannelloni shells
1 x 425 g jar chunky pasta sauce
Method:
Fry onion and garlic until soft. Add the capsicum and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add herbs, tomato paste and half the beans. Mash or process the remaining beans, and add those to the onion mixture.
Spoon the mixture into cannelloni shells. Pour about 1/4 of the mixture into a heatproof dish, then lay the filled shells on top, cover with remaining sauce.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 190°C.
(Recipe from http://www.phpbber.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=207&mforum=yummystuff)
Mushroom Bolognaise Sauce (Vegetarian) December 12, 2008
Ingredients
1 large onion, very finely chopped
400g or 3 1/2 cups mushrooms
1 large garlic clove, crushed
425g can tomatoes
4 tablespoons red wine
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil or mixed herbs
1 teaspoon pitted and sliced olives (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Fry the onions for 5 minutes in a covered frying pan. Add finely chopped mushrooms and garlic, then allow to fry another 5 minutes, stirring often.
Mix in the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste and herbs, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta (suitable for freezing)
Basic Pasta Recipe December 12, 2008
A basic recipe for plain pasta. You can use this to make lasagne sheets, ravioli, fettuccine… whatever takes your fancy
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups flour
water to mix
Method:
1). Mix the ingredients together with enough water to make a dough.
2). Turn out onto a floured board and knead well.
3). Roll out into sheets (or feed through a pasta machine), and cut into strips – hang these over the back of a chair to dry. If making ravioli, cut into circles or rectangles, and add the filling then press the pasta closed to form a parcel.
Easy Peasy Ravioli November 18, 2008
Perfect for those “ack! it’s dinnertime and I have nothing ready” days.
Method:
Simply keep a pack of frozen ravioli/tortellini (those filled pastas) in the freezer and a carton of “velish” vegetable soup (basically just pureed vegies) in the pantry.
Put the ravioli (still frozen) in a saucepan of simmering water and cook for around 10 mins (until pasta is soft). Drain then return to the pot and add the vegetable soup. You can add a handful of grated cheese or half soup and half tomato based pasta sauce if you wish.
Quick & Easy Chicken Pasta November 18, 2008
Ingredients:
Chicken (chopped), Mushrooms (sliced), Garlic, Leek, 1 can of Evaporated milk, Peas, Corn, Spinach.
Method:
Saute chicken & mushroom in a pan until browning. Add chopped garlic, thinly sliced leek, evaporated milk and simmer until reduced. Add vegetables. Cook pasta and toss through the sauce when ready.
